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- Alterity Therapeutics (ATH) says new independent data has confirmed the safety profile of its ATH434 drug
- The animal study tested ATH434 against Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) — an atypical form of Parkinson’s disease
- The trial confirmed and extended previous findings the drug reduces the protein build-up responsible for neurodegeneration, while also preserving neurons and improving motor performance
- The findings will be presented at two key international conferences: the International Congress of Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders, and the American Neurological Association’s 2020 Annual Meeting
- The company is now pursuing a global development strategy for the testing and commercialisation of the drug
- Alterity Therapeutics is up 50 per cent to 5.1 cents
Alterity Therapeutics (ATH) says new independent data has confirmed the safety profile of its ATH434 drug.
The data will be presented at both the 2020 International Congress of Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders (MDS 2020) and the American Neurological Association’s 2020 Annual Meeting (ANA 2020).
Independent confirmation
The new clinical and experimental pharmacology data comes from an animal study conducted by Dr Nadia Stefanova, Professor of Translational Neurodegeneration Research at the Medical University of Innsbruck.
The experiment tested ATH434 against Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) — an atypical form of Parkinson’s disease which can lead to rapid motor degeneration and paralysis.
ATH434 works to inhibit the build-up of proteins associated with the neurodegeneration synonymous with conditions such as Parkinson’s, MSA and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy.
The new study confirmed and extended previous findings that ATH434 reduces the protein build-up, preserves neurons, and improves motor performance.
Professor Gregor Wenning, Chair of the Division of Neurobiology at the Medical University of Innsbruck and Co-Founding Director of the European MSA Study Group, says ATH434 could offer much hope for sufferers of Parkinson’s and similar conditions.
“There is a great need for new treatments of this devastating condition,” Professor Wenning said.
“The exceptional work from Dr Stefanova’s team demonstrates the effectiveness of ATH434 in a disease-predictive animal model. I look forward to the continued progress of ATH434 into patient studies,” he concluded.
Safe and effective
Alterity will also present cardiac safety data from its phase one study of ATH434 to an international group of neurological disorder clinicians and researchers.
The data reinforce previous findings that ATH434 is generally well tolerated at all doses, and poses no risk of cardiac problems in patients.
When coupled with previously reported positive data, the new animal and clinical data support the continued development of ATH434 for MSA.
Alterity is now pursuing a global development strategy for the testing and commercialisation of the drug, after last month announcing it had established a development pathway for ATH434 in MSA with the US Food and Drug Administration.
Alterity Therapeutics is up 50 per cent to 5.1 cents as at 1:50 pm AEST.
